Patriotic Alliance (PA) Cape Town mayoral candidate Cheslyn Daniels has been arrested following an alleged domestic dispute in Belhar, with a 30-year-old woman also taken into custody.
Western Cape police confirmed that officers registered a case of common assault linked to domestic violence and an alleged contravention of a court order.
Police confirm two arrests
SAPS spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk said the incident allegedly took place at around 18:30 on 9 August in Koeberg Street, Belhar.
According to police, a 33-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman were later arrested in Kensington.
Police also confirmed that a child involved in the incident was returned to his mother. Further details about what allegedly happened during the dispute and the circumstances surrounding the alleged breach of the court order have not been publicly confirmed.
Both suspects were detained and are expected to appear in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 11 August.
Gayton McKenzie responds
PA leader Gayton McKenzie addressed the arrests on social media, identifying Daniels and Devenay Rayners as the two people who had been arrested.
McKenzie said he did not yet have all the details and would brief PA supporters once he had received more information.
He indicated that the dispute involved three people close to him but said he was still awaiting a full briefing from the party’s secretary-general.
Police have not publicly confirmed the identities of everyone involved in the dispute or the events that allegedly led to the arrests.
Daniels is PA’s Cape Town mayoral candidate
Daniels is a PA councillor representing Ward 56 in the City of Cape Town and has been announced as the party’s mayoral candidate ahead of the 2026 local government elections.
The arrest comes as political parties intensify their campaigns for control of the Cape Town metro.
Daniels and his co-accused are due to appear in court on Tuesday.
The allegations against both accused have not yet been tested in court and no finding of guilt has been made.
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